ID :
32717
Fri, 11/28/2008 - 09:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/32717
The shortlink copeid
Thai Cabinet declares states of emergency at Bangkok airports
BANGKOK, Nov. 27 Kyodo - Thailand's Cabinet approved states of emergency Thursday at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports, calling for antigovernment protesters who have caused suspension of flights at both airports to be removed.
Health Minister Chalerm Ubamrung said the army and Metropolitan Police are to
take over Don Muang, the main domestic airport in the Thai capital, while the
navy and Police Region One will be responsible for order at Suvarnabhumi,
Bangkok's main international terminal.
The emergencies will take effect at 8:30 p.m. when Prime Minister Somchai
Wongsawat makes an official announcement on national television.
Culture Minister Worawat Ur-apinyakul said Police Chief Watcharawat Wongsuwan
will have full power in Suvarnabhumi, while the Metropolitan Police commander
will head the operation at Don Muang.
Worawat added the Cabinet agreed to use the law against People's Alliance for
Democracy and its supporters, including terrorist charges and the Money
laundering Act.
He also said Somchai will continue to stay in Chiang Mai, where he has been
since returning from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Lima
earlier this week.
The declarations of emergency are designed to have the airports reopened to
regular air traffic.
Earlier, Somchai urged the military to ''stay calm'' and dismissed rumors he
planned to sack the army's commander-in-chief, the government spokesman said.
Nattawut Saikua told reporters in Chiang Mai that Somchai wanted him to
announce there is no move to sack any military leader.
He also urged military personnel to remain in their barracks.
Somchai's assurance came a day after army chief Anupong Paochinda called for
new elections.
Anupong's recommendation was made after he met Wednesday with government
officials, private-sector leaders, academics, economists and security
personnel.
On Thursday, hundreds of antigovernment protesters headed to Chiang Mai in an
effort to prevent the Cabinet meeting called by Somchai to discuss measures to
deal with the massive protests in Bangkok that shut down the country's two main
airports and stalled parliamentary proceedings.
Police in Chiang Mai said they received information about 300 members of the
People's Alliance for Democracy were heading to the city by train with plans to
mass around Chiang Mai's city hall where the Cabinet is meeting.
About 200 police were deployed at city hall, while another 100 protect
Somchai's residence in the city.
Chiang Mai is regarded a stronghold of Somchai and his People Power Party.
The province of the same name is where he began his career as a judge and is
where his wife is from.
It is also where his daughter won a seat in last December's general election.
Meanwhile, a group of government supporters has vowed to protect Somchai and
the Cabinet by deploying its members around the city hall, setting the stage
for conflict.
The Cabinet meeting is in Chiang Mai to avoid the massive protests in Bangkok
against Somchai's government and the PPP, a party formed by loyalists to ousted
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Somchai, who has insisted he would not step down or dissolve the Parliament as
his government was elected democratically, flew to Chiang Mai instead of
Bangkok after the APEC summit.
The Cabinet also assured that Thailand will host the Association of South East
Asian Nations summit scheduled for Chiang Mai in mid-December as planned.
There had been suggestions the summit be postponed, but the Thai government is
determined to end the political crisis before the meeting.
Earlier Thursday, Bangkok's Don Muang domestic airport suspended operations due
to the protests that shut down Suvarnabhumi international airport from late
Tuesday.
The decision to close Don Muang for security reasons came after about a
thousand protesters, who have been staging protests at the interim government
seat at the same airport, entered its passenger terminal Wednesday night for a
short time before being pushed out.
''We afraid that they would enter the runway and restricted areas, so we
decided to stop the operations,'' Airports of Thailand acting President Serirat
Prasutanon told reporters.
Thai Airways acting chief Narongsak Sangkhapong said the airline has decided to
use U-Tapao Airport, in southeastern Rayong Province about 190 kilometers from
Bangkok, after the two airports in Bangkok suspended operations.
A civil court ruled late Wednesday that the Suvarnabhumi airport's occupation
is illegal and ordered PAD leaders to bring protesters out of the airport.
The PAD activists, who have occupied Government House in central Bangkok since
August, began their antigovernment protests May 25 and continued even after
then Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was unseated by the Constitutional Court
in early September.
==Kyodo
Health Minister Chalerm Ubamrung said the army and Metropolitan Police are to
take over Don Muang, the main domestic airport in the Thai capital, while the
navy and Police Region One will be responsible for order at Suvarnabhumi,
Bangkok's main international terminal.
The emergencies will take effect at 8:30 p.m. when Prime Minister Somchai
Wongsawat makes an official announcement on national television.
Culture Minister Worawat Ur-apinyakul said Police Chief Watcharawat Wongsuwan
will have full power in Suvarnabhumi, while the Metropolitan Police commander
will head the operation at Don Muang.
Worawat added the Cabinet agreed to use the law against People's Alliance for
Democracy and its supporters, including terrorist charges and the Money
laundering Act.
He also said Somchai will continue to stay in Chiang Mai, where he has been
since returning from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Lima
earlier this week.
The declarations of emergency are designed to have the airports reopened to
regular air traffic.
Earlier, Somchai urged the military to ''stay calm'' and dismissed rumors he
planned to sack the army's commander-in-chief, the government spokesman said.
Nattawut Saikua told reporters in Chiang Mai that Somchai wanted him to
announce there is no move to sack any military leader.
He also urged military personnel to remain in their barracks.
Somchai's assurance came a day after army chief Anupong Paochinda called for
new elections.
Anupong's recommendation was made after he met Wednesday with government
officials, private-sector leaders, academics, economists and security
personnel.
On Thursday, hundreds of antigovernment protesters headed to Chiang Mai in an
effort to prevent the Cabinet meeting called by Somchai to discuss measures to
deal with the massive protests in Bangkok that shut down the country's two main
airports and stalled parliamentary proceedings.
Police in Chiang Mai said they received information about 300 members of the
People's Alliance for Democracy were heading to the city by train with plans to
mass around Chiang Mai's city hall where the Cabinet is meeting.
About 200 police were deployed at city hall, while another 100 protect
Somchai's residence in the city.
Chiang Mai is regarded a stronghold of Somchai and his People Power Party.
The province of the same name is where he began his career as a judge and is
where his wife is from.
It is also where his daughter won a seat in last December's general election.
Meanwhile, a group of government supporters has vowed to protect Somchai and
the Cabinet by deploying its members around the city hall, setting the stage
for conflict.
The Cabinet meeting is in Chiang Mai to avoid the massive protests in Bangkok
against Somchai's government and the PPP, a party formed by loyalists to ousted
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Somchai, who has insisted he would not step down or dissolve the Parliament as
his government was elected democratically, flew to Chiang Mai instead of
Bangkok after the APEC summit.
The Cabinet also assured that Thailand will host the Association of South East
Asian Nations summit scheduled for Chiang Mai in mid-December as planned.
There had been suggestions the summit be postponed, but the Thai government is
determined to end the political crisis before the meeting.
Earlier Thursday, Bangkok's Don Muang domestic airport suspended operations due
to the protests that shut down Suvarnabhumi international airport from late
Tuesday.
The decision to close Don Muang for security reasons came after about a
thousand protesters, who have been staging protests at the interim government
seat at the same airport, entered its passenger terminal Wednesday night for a
short time before being pushed out.
''We afraid that they would enter the runway and restricted areas, so we
decided to stop the operations,'' Airports of Thailand acting President Serirat
Prasutanon told reporters.
Thai Airways acting chief Narongsak Sangkhapong said the airline has decided to
use U-Tapao Airport, in southeastern Rayong Province about 190 kilometers from
Bangkok, after the two airports in Bangkok suspended operations.
A civil court ruled late Wednesday that the Suvarnabhumi airport's occupation
is illegal and ordered PAD leaders to bring protesters out of the airport.
The PAD activists, who have occupied Government House in central Bangkok since
August, began their antigovernment protests May 25 and continued even after
then Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was unseated by the Constitutional Court
in early September.
==Kyodo
